What We Do

The Smoking and Health Action Foundation (SHAF) is a national, non-profit health organization formed in 1974 to conduct public policy research and education designed to reduce tobacco-related disease and death. SHAF is the sister organization of the Non-Smokers’ Rights Association, and acts as a policy think-tank for governments and NGOs in Canada and abroad. Through its evidence-based research on topical issues in tobacco control, SHAF has provided a crucial bridge between academics, policy-makers in government, and the wider health community.

Particular areas of expertise include:

The economics of tobacco control

Packaging and labelling of tobacco products

Taxation, pricing and smuggling

Harm reduction and alternative nicotine delivery systems

Advertising and sponsorship

Second-hand smoke

Mechanisms for recovery of health care costs by government.

SHAF’s many contributions to public debate include academic articles, policy papers, as well as speeches and presentations at numerous national and international conferences. SHAF staff have acted as consultants to the World Health Organization, the International Union Against Cancer, the World Bank, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the U.K. Ministry of Public Health, the South African and the New Zealand Ministers of Health, and the governments of Thailand and Brazil.